Albany's Insanity

This article about Tokasz is really shedding light on how screwed up our Laws are, he is using campaign contributions to buy influence in Albany and apparently like the rest, find no shame in it and because there is no controlling legal authority against it, does it no matter how it looks. Just further proves the complete arrogance of these politicians when it comes down to their greed and self promotion. It’s disgusting and should be illegal but as long as there are no laws against using campaign contributions like this, the lobby in Albany gets worse.

Former Assemblyman Spreads the Largess as a Lobbyist

ALBANY — Paul A. Tokasz, a former Assembly majority leader, has put his campaign war chest to work since leaving the Legislature to become a lobbyist.

Mr. Tokasz, a Democrat from Buffalo who left the Assembly’s No. 2 post in 2006, has donated more than $57,000 from his campaign account, Friends of Paul Tokasz, to government officials — most of whom his firm has been lobbying.
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There are many reasons why we get the short end of the stick in Western New York with the way Albany and downstate politicians dominate the votes. No matter what the issue if downstate politicians are against it we loose. Another is gerrymandered districts. It is almost impossible to challenge an incumbent if you are a member of the opposite party. The only way is to run in primaries and to get the people out to vote.

Apathy is one of our biggest enemies. The people see that it doesn’t matter who is elected. their all the same, they vote the way they are told to vote against threats of losing pork, projects geared toward the districts and no money for their re-election. Our needs, our economic health is secondary seeing we really have no voice in Albany. The 51st state idea still dominates most debates at least among the people. They see hardly any hope in the current system.

No easy path to upstate revival

To recover economically, upstate New York needs, besides oodles of private investment, state politicians willing to put the next election aside in favor of genuine bipartisan commitment and leadership.

Never happened, you say? You know your history. But upstate surely will struggle mightily long past the recession about to crash through the door unless Gov. Spitzer and legislative leaders, particularly in the Senate, work together on solutions this year. That means policies and initiatives that eschew the quick-fix property tax rebate for homeowners or the one-shot tax credit in favor of targeted investments in emerging industries or in the knowledge economy that is the Rochester region’s best chance for the future.
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I don’t see or hear a lot of support for a pay raise for the Legislators from the electorate. Ordinary people like you and I are against it, getting paid close to 90 Grand a year for a part time gig is outrageous as it is, but a pay increase at this time and the foreseeable future should not even be on anyones mind. I don’t see it happening this session but would not be surprised if it comes up in a special session called in like December after the elections.

Republican Lawmakers Reject Idea of Pay Raise – January 25, 2008 – The New York Sun

Despite Governor Spitzer’s softening on giving state legislators their first salary hike in a decade, lawmakers are unlikely to win a raise at least until the end of the year — and they may have to wait until 2010.

In Albany, legislative salaries could be compared with orchids — they grow only under ideal conditions. In Albany, the timing and political climate are hardly ripe for a raise, even taking into account the governor’s goodwill gesture, lawmakers said in interviews.
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Obama-57 percent Clinton 29 percent and Edwards at 13 percent.

Obama runs away with SC primary

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Barack Obama routed Hillary Rodham Clinton in the racially-charged South Carolina primary Saturday night, regaining campaign momentum in the prelude to a Feb. 5 coast-to-coast competition for more than 1,600 Democratic National Convention delegates.
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Maybe people are just now starting to see what we have been seeing for years. It’s all about them, the Clinton’s. Anything to regain power and control and to continue the destruction of the country.

Is the right right on the Clintons? – Los Angeles Times

Hillarys campaign tactics are causing some liberals to turn against the couple.

Something strange happened the other day. All these different people — friends, co-workers, relatives, people on a liberal e-mail list I read — kept saying the same thing: Theyve suddenly developed a disdain for Bill and Hillary Clinton. Maybe this is just a coincidence, but I think we’ve reached an irrevocable turning point in liberal opinion of the Clintons.
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I think Albany has money sniffing dogs out combing the state going into towns, villages, cities trying to see where anyone is generating revenue so they can pounce on it and take it away for any reason they see fit.

if the revenue is taken away, the burden would fall, ultimately, on the property tax payer.

They don’t care, haven’t they figured this out yet? Any revenue made in New York state is the property of Albany and it’s fat cats. Just ask them and they’ll tell you. Well you’ll have to listen real closely and then read between the lines, they don’t speak normal english there, they speak corrupted english.

Officials will fight state plan to take away VLT revenue

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Local officials vowed Wednesday to fight a proposal that would take revenue from local video lottery terminals for use by the state.

“I have a problem, as an elected official in our city, with losing revenue we’re entitled to just because of the inefficiencies at the state,” Saratoga Springs Mayor Scott Johnson said, calling the revenue “vitally important” in balancing the city’s budget.
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Didn’t I say the devil is always in the details. No new taxes? I think Spitzer has gone off the deep end, I really do. It came when I heard that he wants drug dealers to get tax stamps.. Then to get this partial list of some of the fee increases it confirms my suspicions. Hold on to your hats, or call the truck rental company, we are not turning this ship around anytime soon.

Fee increases that could essentially boost gas taxes by as much as a penny per gallon

Tax on flavored malt beverages, per six pack $0.06 $1.42

State auto insurance surcharge $5 $20

Residential real estate transfer fees $75 Ranging from $75 for homes worth up to $175,000, to $425 for homes worth more than $1 million

Commercial real estate transfer fees $165 Ranging from $165 for properties worth up to $175,000 to $750 for properties worth over $1 million

Sales tax for online vendors like Amazon.com Paid by individual Paid by the retailer consumers.

Spitzer: No new taxes – but more fees — Newsday.com
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